- Our party must collect the paperwork from all primary candidates between March 20 and April 6, and immediately afterwards verify the petition signatures to get each candidate on the ballot. It’s fun, and much quicker, as a group project; please email cvilledemschair@gmail.com for information if you might be able to pitch in a few hours.
- We’d like to organize some candidate forums in April, possibly in collaboration with the Albemarle Democrats. Details will be announced when they’re worked out.
- Nancy Damon updated us on the upcoming annual dinner fundraiser, tentatively scheduled for Friday June 2 (see below). Thanks to Nancy and the committee for doing all the planning!
- We want to increase our efforts at community engagement to get more people (and more diversity!) in our membership. If you or someone you know might be interested in joining this effort, please contact cvilledemschair@gmail.com.
- We’ve formalized some policies and procedures for covering the primary candidates, so we can pass on information to our members without showing favoritism to any candidate.
- Kate Vasiloff, a local activist working with Compassion and Choices to expand end-of-life options, briefed us on a proposed bill that would allow for assisted suicide in very narrowly prescribed cases of incurable terminal illnesses. In past years, the General Assembly hasn’t passed similar bills, despite large majority support from both Democratic and Republican voters. The Charlottesville Democrats have not taken any position on this issue. If you’d like to learn more, or to participate in this effort, you can contact Kate: kate@untoldresearch.com
- Erin Monaghan gave 5th District and DPVA reports (see below).
“Since moving here from Washington, D.C. in 1980, I have come to know and L O V E our wonderful city. I met and married my husband here. We raised two beautiful children who are products of the Charlottesville City schools and were raised in a nurturing community of family and friends. I have grown into adulthood here and I have proudly learned a great deal and developed personally as I have witnessed our city’s growth, development, and progress! I have made countless friends and established life-long relationships socially and professionally with people from diverse backgrounds, circumstances, and perspectives. Through my community board involvement and administrative work at the University of Virginia, I have had the opportunity, responsibility, and great privilege to work with hundreds of students in the Upward Bound (now Uplift at UVA) program and witnessed their triumphs and celebrated their successes. I have been blessed and fortunate to have been the director long enough to work with and mentor the next generation of the children of many former students and participants of the program. I profoundly appreciate the opportunity I have had to have a multigenerational impact in my community and city. I humbly and gratefully have been the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions from organizations. One of the ones I treasure most was being selected as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Award winner for 2021. The award speaks well to passion and dedication to being a servant leader. I am committed to the continued growth and advancement for all of Charlottesville’s residents, the larger community, and a city with many opportunities to become even greater! I am a loving and gregarious person who has always been a consensus builder and group oriented. I have leveraged my skills and talents with the help and support of family, friends, and colleagues to help and promote others. I would love the opportunity to work with the Council and the Community to continue building relationships and move our city forward. My commitments to my family, friends, and social and professional community and my more than forty-year history and hope for our city have given much knowledge and skills that would be beneficial to the council. I feel I have knowledge of Charlottesville and its residents which will be beneficial to the Council.